Here's $100.00 - Whatcha Gonna Do with It?

I often ponder the deeper reason why people exchange their cash for items and services. Is the item is for practical purposes, or for stylish embellishment instead?

There is an intrinsic value to physical goods. We all have seen teenage girls wearing a pair of jeans that have been ripped and distressed in advance. The jeans probably cost 80.00+. Why is this perceived as a good value?

Personally... I'm more of a Wal-Mart guy... 15.00 a pair. But, I don't really care what people think of me. My identity or self-confidence isn't connected to what I do or don't own.

Some artwork came into a shop 2 weeks back. The owner said, "that text looks terrible". It was a distressed typewriter font used on a business card. I asked the owner WHY the artist wanted that text to look rough. She had no idea.

There is some trust built into perceived stability or permanence. You feel like you can trust a company that's been in business since 1959. The reality is that there are no guarantees of anything.

Part of our culture assumes that rounded, quirky, sleek, new, is often "better" by default. Let's take Windows Vista for example - it isn't enticing for me. Not enough clear benefits for my needs - esp. after having to start over again with new hardware to support it. The only reason I bought XP was to run DRAW X3 when it came out. XP doesn't feel as responsive as win 2000 or 98 IMO. The keys for me are responsiveness and transparency.

Make no mistake, many people "express themselves" throughout the purchasing process. It's almost spiritual. The product itself can be incidental to the overall transaction! Their personality is connected to the products they own, and the goods such as food that they consume.

"I only eat Free Range asparagus, grown in a ozone-free, sustainable environment. Part of the proceeds goes to freeing Tibet." Uh huh.... :-)

Up here in Calgary, I've heard recently that one out of ten people are millionaires. This is about right, FME. The result of so much wealth is rampant consumerism, which is good for business. It’s a feeding frenzy.

A lot of guys here wear these little trinket necklaces from exotic places. I think part of their purpose or appeal lies beyond the necklace itself... it "sends a message" to other men and women that you can afford to travel, and that they have flexibility with their time to make it happen.

posted by Jeff Harrison @ 3:39 PM